The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

When the author discovered that he was pre-diabetic in the fall of 2006, he was stunned. However, he knew that had no desire to become like his father, whose own untreated case of diabetes had led to a leg amputation and a “torturous demise.” Though lean and physically fit, O’Connell quickly realized that he was eating and drinking an over-abundance of sugars and their carbohydrate kin, found in fast foods and, less obviously, “healthy” ones like yogurt, pasta, Gatorade and whole wheat bread. The author’s timely and readable account of his four-year personal journey to recovery explores diabetes as a metabolic, endocrine and vascular disorder. Through exhaustive research, O’Connell unveils the ignorance and misinformation clouding this complex disease. Processed foods along with high-stress lifestyles, he writes, have created the conditions for diabetes—even among those not otherwise prone to it. Not one to shy away from controversy, the author highlights the disturbingly close and collusive relationship among health-care professionals, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and drug manufacturers, illustrating how no-nonsense, drug-free approaches to combating the disease have taken a back seat to money-making concerns. Most importantly, O’Connell offers practical suggestions for disease management, including the diet and fitness strategies that helped him regain control of his own life.

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